Prolific Writer and Historian

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Phillip Thomas Tucker is a prolific writer and historian who has edited and authored nearly two dozen books in the past two decades and written over 60 scholarly articles. He is particularly recognized for his efforts to unearth and bring to life forgotten events and figures in the annals of American history. Many of his books recount events of the Civil War, with others detailing the Texas Revolutionary period, the Revolutionary War, Irish history, and the efforts of early African American military regiments. Tucker’s 2010 book Exodus from the Alamo: The Anatomy of the Last Stand Myth unravels what really happened during the most famous event of the Texas War of Independence. Contrary to popular depictions of the Alamo, the battle occurred predawn, with many of the participants still in bed as the melee began. While a number of Texan defenders remained in the fort, firing at General Santa Anna’s cavalry, most were cut down as they tried to escape. In writing his book, Phillip Thomas Tucker relied extensively on forensic evidence and recently uncovered Mexican accounts of the battle, which give an accurate, and surprising, picture of what really occurred. Another book by Phillip Thomas Tucker gives recognition to a figure in U.S. history who has been forgotten over the years. Published in 2002, Cathy Williams: From Slave to Female Buffalo Soldier explores the hidden life of a woman who was born as a slave in Independence, Missouri. She refashioned herself as Pvt. William Cathay of Company A, 38th U.S. Infantry, patrolling the 900-mile Santa Fe Trail as one of the Buffalo Soldiers. Phillip Thomas Tucker explores the entire arc of this remarkable woman’s life, up to her successful later career as a businesswoman in Colorado. After earning his Ph.D. at Saint Louis University in Missouri in 1990, Phillip Thomas Tucker took a position as civilian historian with the Department of Defense and specialized in air force history. He has worked on several books related to the Haitian Revolution and has donated to relief efforts both before and following the devastating Port-au-Prince earthquake. Phillip Thomas Tucker maintains affiliation with Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honor Society, which extends to 830 chapters at colleges and universities across the U.S.